Weather Observer

If I could reminisce for a moment on a day when time allows, February 1956 was one of those events which got me hooked on cold weather. The blocked pressure pattern and cold easterly wind , but no snow ( I lived in the New Forest) was unrelenting. Rather in the same way that we have had a locked in pressure pattern this month but with the opposite outcome. I was a child in bed with flu on the last day of January and I watched ice patterns develope on the bedroom window in the early afternoon in what I recall were overcast conditions. I have since read that the temperature fell from about 9c with drizzle in the morning to -2c by early afternoon. I am not sure where that leaves us. The 56 event was completely unforecasted. Probably we will get it wrong again this time. But at a week or ten days away, even to get close shows how much forecasting has progressed. If we are to be wrong let's hope for more snow this time.

For when the good times do roll, would anyone know of a link with tips of how to post charts etc to back up comments? Or is this something we have all been taught in school and backwoodsmen like me should carry on with honing their axes. thankyou

I have always been interested in weather and l like to think I have a feel for what the charts are suggesting without knowing where the weather is actually going. The charts do not suggest a cold spell anyday soon. I can remember cold spells developing between Christmas and year end in average Decembers but I cannot recall any early relief from the unrelenting warm south- westerly pattern that we appear locked into now. I think patience will be needed.

The anenometer at Svalbard seems to be broken. Latest NOAA hourly report. Is this the first sign of the advection that all cold weather fans are looking for?